The war between makers and takers

Modern autocrats love the idea of high taxes on those who produce wealth, and income redistribution to those who don't. The reason is simple: dependence on a check from the government breeds support for an ever-bigger, ever higher-taxing government. Robbing Peter to pay Paul makes Paul a loyal supporter. President Obama understands this very well.
An earlier democratically elected president of another country also understood this very well. Juan Peron, who promised to improve the lot of the poor in Argentina, managed to tax and spend Argentina from one of the richest countries in the world in the early 20th century into borderline third world status, warping its politics for decades, unto the present.
Historian Arthur Herman examines the supermarket riots that have wracked Argentina, and sees grim implication for America:
Consider this story from the Wall Street Journal a few days before Christmas:
"Thousands of people in several Argentine cities ransacked supermarkets for a second...(Read Full Post)